Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) review: our full review –

The Dell XPS 13 Plus is coming back, and we’re more than happy about it. Last year, the very first model in this new range managed to charm us thanks to its ultra sleek design which managed to make it stand out from the crowd. But with the arrival of this new model for 2023, we hoped that the (many) criticisms that we had submitted on it would be heard at least. Truth be told… We are more or less on the same laptop.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Technical sheet

The copy tested here was loaned to us by Dell for the duration of the test.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Design

If there is one point on which the Dell XPS 13 Plus really did not need any modifications, it is its design. In a very compact format with a shell made entirely of brushed metal, we have before us a 13.5-inch computer that is very light in the hand (1.26 kg) and above all extremely thin at only 1.53 cm. The lines are precise, the curvatures perfectly controlled, and the Dell XPS 13 Plus still gives this impression of luxury in its 2023 version.

There is simply no equivalent device currently on the market. Its beauty is striking, it is undeniable. But this comes at the cost of some sacrifices, as always, which we will see in more detail during this test.

Keyboard and touchpad

The most obvious point is obviously the integrated keyboard. This is where Dell once again plays the card of the most total flatness and the absence of margins, which allows the machine to display its most original appearance. The keyboard still requires a little time to get used to, but still offers excellent comfort of use thanks to its very large keys and its stroke which is once again deeper than one would imagine. Still with the same fault: it makes a lot of noise. Dell has absolutely not reworked its copy compared to the previous model. And the bias towards the touch shortcut area still has the same flaw: users accustomed to function keys will be completely caught off guard.

The same goes for the touchpad, which disappears entirely in this all-glass covering that the Dell XPS 13 Plus offers us once opened. Which does not mean that it is not delimited: it is located in the center of the computer, and takes up a good 70% of the free surface. A pleasure to use, and a pleasure for the eye, since our muscle memory, now well accustomed to the product, simply cannot get lost despite this lack of physical or aesthetic delimitation.

Connections

This is where we wanted the most improvements. The previous model only included two Thunderbolt 4 compatible USB-C ports, one on each side precisely. But for this new 2023 version, the Dell XPS 13 Plus… only has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. One on each side.

“Dongle life” therefore awaits you, especially since this choice is always more difficult to justify when Apple itself has ended up integrating more connections into its devices. Dell simply used the same sauce as before.

Webcam and audio

If you were expecting at least some improvements on this side, again: nope. We find the same nice 720p webcam without more, with the same Windows Hello compatibility for face recognition and the fingerprint reader integrated into the start button.

The same goes at least for the stereo speakers of the Dell XPS 13 Plus, which return with a rather high and well-defined volume considering the size of the machine itself. The sound has not improved, but was already in the upper average range of ultrabooks last year.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Screen

In our test configuration, the 2023 Dell The latter is touchscreen and supports a refresh rate of 60 Hz. This is the largest option of the computer, which comes equipped as standard with a Full HD IPS LCD screen.

Under our probe and with the DisplayCal software, we can observe a coverage of 171.2% of the sRGB space for 121.3% of the DCI-P3 space. The maximum brightness, measured at 392 cd/m², is not excellent considering the fact that this screen is touchscreen and therefore glossy, but is not bad nonetheless. The factory calibration gives us a color temperature of 6224K on average, slightly warmer than the NTSC standard at 6500K targeted, for a very good average delta E00 of 1.79.

Let us say it once and for all: a 4K definition on such a small diagonal has absolutely no interest. And the Dell XPS 13 Plus pays the price in terms of autonomy. Favor IPS LCD panels in 1080P. But above all, compared to the previous model, we only see good coverage of the DCI-P3 space which was previously lacking, and a slight improvement in the factory calibration… without offering us what we really expected: a refresh rate higher. In 2023, this lack is still a little more difficult to explain on the very high end that this Dell XPS 13 Plus represents.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Software

Dell, like everyone else, continues to pre-install adware like the annoying McAfee on its setups. But beyond that, its management suite is quite good, although its redesign on this mount has not really improved the fact that all Dell services are split between various more or less useful applications.

Still, fine management of the device’s performance, its load behavior or even the activation of the presence detector is still available. So many useful parameters that are easy to activate, if you dig around a little beforehand to find them. Nothing too damaging, however, since this is the case on most computers on the market.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Performance

Our test configuration of the 2023 Dell It is here coupled with 32 GB of dual channel LPDDR5 RAM at 6000 MHz, and 512 GB PCIe 4.0 storage memory.

Benchmarks and heating

Who says new chip means improved performance? Not necessarily. On paper, the i7-1360P is much superior to the i5-1240P tested on the previous generation. But in fact, this increase in power will only be seen over very short periods, since a sustained test under Cinebench R23 offers us scores similar to the previous model, with 8870 points in multi core and 1583 points in single core. Likewise under PCMark 10, where the score of 5723 points only differs by around 500 points compared to the previous model. Even the integrated SSD, absolutely excellent last year, is losing capacity with read/write rates still very good, but lower.

The fact is that the Dell XPS 13 Plus has absolutely nothing revised about its construction. Which also means that it suffers from the same high heating problems as before, with an outside temperature rising to 56°C at its hottest point. Certainly, the ambient heatwave does not help, but the computer itself does not have fans powerful enough to effectively ventilate its configuration, even though it is designed to heat up very little. The choice of silence of its fans, even when pushed to the limit, is to the detriment of the chassis.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Autonomy

Come on, one last point where nothing changes: the battery. That integrated into the Dell XPS 13 Plus is 55 Wh, sufficient for most ultrabooks, and can be recharged using a supplied 60W USB-C power supply, or any other Power Delivery standard charger. offering these performances.

In use, however, the Dell XPS 13 Plus in our test pays for the unwise choice of integrating a 4K OLED panel. We actually found between 6 and 7 hours of office use, for a device which offered us around twelve hours of use in its previous version with a Full HD screen.

There is no doubt that the 2023 Full HD versions will exceed ten hours, but the 4K version should definitely be avoided.

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320 (2023) Price and availability

The Dell XPS 13 Plus from 2023 is available in France from 1599 euros. Our test configuration is sold at a price of 2209 euros.